Island



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DESIRE NORMAND, OF PROVIDENCE, RIIODE ISLAND.

ENVELOPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 476.549, dated June 7,1892.

Application filed January 2 1,18. Serial No. 418,804. (No model.)

dence and State of Rhode Island, have in' vented certain new and usefulImprovements in Envelopes; and I hereby declare that the following, isafull, clcar,nnd exact description of the same, reference beinghad to theaccompanying drawings, forming part of this specilleation.

This invention has reference to an improved device adapted to be securedto envelopes and to facilitate when secured the openingof the same.

The invention consists in the peculiar construction and arrangement ofthe device in connection with an envelope, as will he more fullysctforth hereinafter, and more particularly pointed out in the claim.

Figure 1 is a view of an envelope such as is usually used formailingletters,showing the flap which covers the opening into which thelet ter is inserted opened outward and astring, cord, or wire secured tothe envelope by a metallic fastening. Fig. 2 is a view of a blank whichwhen bent over is used forseeuring the cord, thread, or wire to theenvelope. Fig. 3 is a slightly-modified form of a sheet-metal blankadapted to secure the cord or wire to the envelope. Fig. 4 is a view ofa parcel, which may be a newspaper, partiallyinclosed in a wrapper orenvelope to which a cord, thread, or wire is secured by the metallicfastening device.

The object of the invention is to produce a device provided with a cord,thread, or fine wire that may be readily secured to an envelope so thatone end will project beyond the envelope sufficiently to allow the handto grasp it and by which the envelope may he quickly and neatly tornopen.

Similar numbers of reference designate corresponding parts throughout.

In the drawings the numeral 5 indicates the envelope or wrapper; 6, thecord, thread, or tine wire; 7, the thin sheet-metal blank, having a.central portion 7', on opposite sides of which the prongs 7 and 7 areformed, so that they may be readily bent at or nearly at right angles tothe plane of the central portion 7', inserted through the paper formingthe envelope or wrapper, and after inserting one endof the cord, thread,or fine wire under or between the portions 7' and 7 may be firmlysecured by doubling up and pressing the prongs '7' and 7 against thecentral portion 7' in a suitahlepress, and thus securethe cord or finewire 6, at one end firmly to the envelope.

In Fig. 3 the blank 7 isshown provided with the notches 7. Thisconstruction is peculiarlyadapted for use on letter-cnvelopes,tlie cord(3 being secured at these notches 7, so that when the prong 7 is bentover and pressed on the inside of the envelope the cord or fine wire 6will lie exactly in the fold of the flap 5' which covers the opening ofthe envelope, as is shown in Fig. 1.

-It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the form of themetallic fastening device; but the essential featuresnamely, the centralportion 7' and the prongs 7 and 7 -are required to carry out thisinvention in its most perfect form.

The operation of the device is as follows: The metallic fastening device7, having the prongs 7 and 7 bent at or nearly at right angles with thesurface of the central portion 7', is inserted through the envelope orwrapper so that the central portion bears against the outer surface ofthe envelope or wrapper. The cord, twine, or fine wire 6 is laid on theinside of the envelope or wrapper,preferably so that the end 6' when theprong 7 is bent over and clinched will extend beyond the metal of theprong and when by a blow the prong is firmly clinched the cord, twine,or fine wire 6 will pass over the prong 7 as is shown in Fig. 1. Whenthe envelope or wrapper, having been scaled, arrives at its destination,the same can be quickly and neatly torn open by exertinga quick andsudden strain on the cord, thread, or fine wire 6, and thus theopeningof the mail in large business-houses is greatly facilitated.

Iirthe Government Postal Department and the railroad service largenumbers of envelopes and wrappers have to be quickly opened at stationsby cmploys under conditions where such a device by which the opening ofthe envelope is facilitated isvery desirable, as by its use not only istime saved, but the envelope is practically preserved intact, so that itmay receive again its contents and by the usual stump itbears become avoucher as to the time of its mailing and delivery.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to Secureby Letters lutent The combination, with an envelope having the flap 5and the cord (3,0f the metallic fastening device consisting of a centralportion T'and the prongs Wand 7, and the notches 7',

adapted to secure one end of the cord to the [0 envelope on the line ofthe fold of the flap 5, substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hercuutosct my hand.

DESIRE NORMANI). Witnesses:

JosErn A. MILLER, JOSEPH A. MILLER, Jr.

